Dear MedViz Supporter
It is a pleasure for us and a milestone in MedViz’s five years history to present you
the first Newsletter, published right before Christmas. As Editor and newly hired
Program Manager for MedViz, I intend to serve you monthly news this way, in
addition to what you will find at our home page. We will also be grateful to receive
messages from you about MedViz related topics in your area that might be
published here. The distribution of the Newsletter will be by email to the MedViz
Network and to key persons, depending on the topics. You may unsubscribe at any
time by sending me an email.
Late events
MedIm Conference for PhD students in November 28-29
A conference for PhD students within medical visualization was arranged
in the end of November at Rica Nidelven Hotel in Trondheim. The PhD students
gave both oral presentations and presented posters, together with some invited
speakers. The social part of the arrangement included a roundtrip and a pleasant
dinner at Rockheim, where one could interactively listen to various Norwegian
musicians or test your own playing skills on different instruments. Six
representative ambassadors from the MedViz network in Bergen were awarded a
travel grant each of 50 000 NOK from MedIm (photo below).
Award winners from Bergen (numbered from the left): 1. Jenny Husby, Radiology Dept.,
HUS, 5. Sveinung Fjær, The Nevro Clinic, Neurological Dept., HUS, 6. Erik Hanson, Dept.
of Mathematics, UiB, 7. Helene Hjelmervik, Dept. for Biological and Medical Psycology,
UiB, 8. Judit Haasz, The Nevro Clinic, Neurological Dept., HUS and 13. (to the right) Eli
Eikefjord, Radiology Dept., HUS.
Project manager meeting 3rd of December
We had the pleasure of gathering almost all the MedViz project managers at a
common meeting at Haukeland Hotel. MedViz Scientific Director, Professor Odd
Helge Gilja opened the meeting by encouraging the participants to highlight their
thoughts of future project development within the network, in addition to
presenting all the interesting results from the 12 MedViz projects so far. This was
followed up by an inspired talk by Dean Dag Rune Olsen at Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences, UiB, presenting the report “The Third Revolution: The
Convergence of the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering” from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), from which Professor Phillip A. Sharp
has been one of the main authors.
The ultimate conclusion from the MIT report is that the health science research
community should adopt a new research model, convergence (Norwegian
translation: samhandling, altså noe vesentlig mer forpliktende enn samarbeid),
which draws on an ongoing merger of life, physical and engineering sciences. You
will find a link to the report here. Dag Rune Olsen pointed out that we have to learn
each other’s languages across disciplines, offer to shear information and challenge
each other continuously. This would call for more frequent meetings to achieve an
integration of previously divided disciplines and sciences. Dag Rune Olsen also
recognized MedViz as an arena where the three sciences meet, thus being a fruitful
meeting place for future convergence, in line with the MIT report. By achieving a
critical mass MedViz might thus in future eventually become a physical center for
the medical imaging sciences. See the link to the conclusions and the presentations
from the project manager meeting. For more information, see each project.
The MedViz Seminar 14th of December
This was the final seminar this year in a series of 10 seminars (see archive). 35
participants were gathered to hear about translational research from fish to
humans by Ragnar Nortvedt and about the Illustrasound project by Ivan Viola,
followed by Christmas lunch. Ivan Viola was thanked for his working period at
Dept. of Informatics, UiB, before he attends his new position as Professor in Vienna.
Senior Consultant, Professor Odd Helge Gilja was also thanked for all his efforts to
establish and lead MedViz through the past five years. Moreover, Odd Helge will
continue as Scientific Director in MedViz in the years to come.
Upcoming events
14.01.2013:
MedViz will be evaluated for its activity over the past five years by a Scandinavian
Evaluation Committee who will arrange a status meeting in Bergen in January.
The final report is due 1st of March. See link to mandate.
15.01.2013:
Why not give 2013 a boosting start? You are welcome to attend the free MedViz
Conference 2013 on January 15 at Grand Terminus Hotel in Bergen.
24.01.2013:
The MedViz Walk & Talk is a new MedViz concept, where we invite you for monthly
informal discussions in the spirit of MedViz. Here you can throw out new ideas,
suggest new projects or just get new MedViz friends during an informal hiking trip
in the mountains around Bergen. This is not for hurriers, but merely a social trip,
open for everyone! The first trip goes from HUS to Fløien. We leave (sharp) at 16:00
from the Northern exit in Sentralblokken (same location as the Campus Bus).
Please, bring proper clothing and food. We will serve you hot drinks at Fløien. The
group picture from the first MedViz Walk & Talk will be historical.